End-gate lock for wagons



- (No Model.)

J. G. NELSON.-

END GATE LOOK FOR WAGONS.

No. 266,501. Patented Oct. 24, 1882.

W 1 067115 rnqys' NITED STATES JAMES C. NELSON, OF RAOINE, WISCONSIN.

END-GATE LOOK FOR 'WAGONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 266,501, dated October 24, 1882,

(No model.)

T 0 all 'lC/LOWL it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES C. NELSON, of Racine, in the county of Racine, and in the State of \Visconsin, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vagon Body EndGate Locks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to devices 'for locking the end-gates of wagon-bodies in place, and will be fully described hereinafter.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rear portion ota wagon-body. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the rear portion of one of the side-boards. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of my locking-plate, and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 00 a; of Fig. 1.

A A are the side-boards of a wagon-body. B is the end-gate. O is are-enforce secured to the rear end of the side-board A. D is my locking-plate. E is a key. E is a cleat secured to the side-board A in position to receive one end of the end-gate B, while the other side board, A, is grooved at ato receive the other end of the end-gate, which is first slipped into this groove and then pushed against the cleat E. The re-enforce 0 extends from thevfloor of the body up to the upper edge of the side-board A, and from the rear end of the side-board A to the cleat E. The thickness of the end-gate is such that either end will tit in the groove c, and alter one end has been placed therein the other will lie up against the cleat E; and to clamp or look the gate in this position I provide the lockingplate D, which has lugs b, that fitinto recesses c in the re-ent'orce G, and also carries a key, E, of general T shape, as shown best in Fig. 4. The shank c of this key is passed through a slot, (1, in plate D, which latter is countersunk on the inside at d to receive the hub e of the key that turns loosely therein. The handle E that is eccentrically pivoted to the shank eof the key, serves to shorten the key and draw the nibs 0 up against the inner face of the reenforce O and clamp the plate D tightly between the eccentric head E of the hand E and the re-int'orce 0 after the head of the key has been pushed through the slotf. Now, as the head of key E is oblong it is necessary to turn the handle E until its pivot 6 stands in a vertical position when the greatest length of the head of the key IE will correspond to the length of the slot f, and the key will readily pass into the slot f, after which a quarter-turn ot' the handle E will carry the nibs 6 under and beyond the side edges of the slotf, and then by a slight pressure the handle E may be forced down into the position shown in Fig. 1, with the head E between the ribs F F, in which position the weight of the handle, aided by the ribs, will hold the key, no matter how much the wagon may jolt. When it is necessary to remove the end-gate the handle E is lifted until at right angles to the plate D, and is given aquarter-turn, which releases plate D and permits it to be drawn away from its position, alter which the end of the gate B nearest the re-ent'orce may be drawn away from cleat E until its opposite end clears the groove a in the side-board A.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The locking-plate having lugs 1), slot d, and. countersinkd, in combination with the slotted re-enforce (J, and with the key E and its handle, the latter having an eccentric head, E, and being pivoted to the shank of the said key, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoingI have hereunto set my hand, on' this 24th day of July, 1882, in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES C. NELSON.

W'itnesses S. S. STOUT, H. G. UNDERWOOD. 

